Disappointed fans are putting more weight into the mythology of Red John
as a criminal mastermind over being a human being. He was smarter than
Patrick the entire time until the very end when he was brought down to a
human level and destroyed. The reason the show didn't focus on flashbacks
and neatly answering every question about how much smarter Red John
is(was), is because it doesn't matter. That is and never was supposed to
be the focus of Patrick's struggle. He wanted justice and finally got
it. By not answering the questions he's not reaffirming the grandeur
of a character who wants notoriety. Patrick gained the most solid
victory possible by dismissive and not dwelling on Red John's 'accomplishments' - and the fans who want to know everything are
disappointed.